Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.
Re: First Amendment
Author: Jeff Shelton Posted: 4/13/2000; 9:24:18 AM Topic: First Amendment Msg #: 16196 (In response to 16191) Prev/Next: 16195 / 16197
Do they place a higher value on editorial integrity at a print publication than on an Internet publication?I don't think it matters. As the AOL/Time-Warner deal foreshadows, print and Internet publications are becoming one and the same.
The real question is whether internet users will insist that their access providers "open" their operations, much as they have insisted that software providers "open" their source code. Why is it good to have early and frequent reviews of software, but not of business operations? Most big dot coms have already revealed their financials by virtue of going public, so what is left to hide? (Conxion is a privately-held company, of course, so perhaps they feel no real need to expose their inner workings to the world.)
The most powerful marketing tool for any business has always been to build a culture that attracted a community of loyal customers. In the past, this culture was developed with advertising. But with the advent of the internet, customers are bypassing the emotional pitch of the ads, choosing instead to go online and evaluate products based on price and features. I suspect that, in time, they will compare and contrast the companies behind the products with the same zeal that they currently display in scouring the 'net for the best price on a digital camera.
If the best way to get employee "buy-in" is to give them a voice in the company, why would it be any different for customers? Future companies are going to have to be more democratic, and less oligarchical.
So the future Conxion may yet become a "cooperative" of sorts; maximizing its profits by allowing its members to help improve its services, operations, and opinions. And it could be that the other members of the Conxion co-op would tell Dave to take a hike, because the cost of his negative comments outweighed their benefit. On the other hand, they might agree with his concerns, and insist that Conxion take some action. At the very least, however, such a decision would not be a knee-jerk reaction made by a handful of executives who illegitimately look for cover behind the First Amendment when they encounter uncomfortable criticism.
It will be another two years before the business magazines talk about "open" companies, and another four before the trend picks up real inertia. But I suspect that before the end of the decade, most businesses will be scrambling to find ways to let customers direct their strategic decisions on a real-time basis.
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